The Research On Chuci Houvu

This dissertation has two parts. The first part has five chapters. Chapter One reviews the research history of Chuci Houyu by summarizing several aspects of discussion on Chuci Houyu in academia, such as the motivation of the compilement, the reason of eulogizing Qu Yuan’s loyalty and criticizing Yang Xiong, the author’s standard of the compilement, his purpose of the compilement, and so on.Chapter Two expounds Chao Buzhi’s life, and notices the impact of his banishment and his migrant life on him. He could not put his talents into use. Moreover, he had his name listed in Yuanyou cabal’s membership, and was confined at home with the accusation of disloyalty and cabal activities. It was in that eight seclusive years that he compiled Chongbian Chuci, Xu Chuci, and Bian Li Sao. As to the authors of the selections and some articles of the latter two, he conducted some reverification work on the basis of predecessors’research work, correcting some incorrect statements of the former worthies, and speculating boldly on the works that might be included. Chuci Houyu,inroducing its compilement and its publication.Chapter Tree outline the ChaoBuZhi and yuan period party banned, expounds the extension process of Ban on Political Party in Qingyuan period, during which Zhu Xi and Neo-Confucianists suffered severe persecution. We can discern the soul of Zhu Xi from his corpus, letters, prefaces and postscripts written by him. In that period, he was concerned for state affaires, loyal to the emperor, but was accused of propagandizing false doctrines as a defiant man. Facing those, Zhu xi had the same feeling of the autocratic ruling in Donghan dynasty, political ban of Yuanyou. In that background, we can examine the theme of his loyalty without any complaint in his Chuci Jizhu (Collected Commentaries on Chuci), especially in Jiuge(Nine Odes). Hence, I compare some annotations of Wang Yi, the notes of Hong Xingzhu with those of Zhu Xi to Jiuge, in order to find the value of Zhu Xi’s thought, and explain the reason why the loyalty of Qu Yuan was eulogized.Chapter Four discusses the literature value of Duanping version of Chuci Houyu. And lays analysis of differentiating improper notes of Zhuxi. Some implied profoud meaning.The concerned poems include Chengxiang, Guishi, Song of Yishui River, Departure Song inside the Tent at Gaixia, Song of the Great Wind, Lament for Qu Yuan, Ode to Fu, Song of Huzi, Ode to Autumn Wind, Lament for Ershi, Ode of Self Mourning, Contrary Li Sao, and the Last Words. For example, In Song of Huzi, there is a phrase foyi and a word bo, Zhu Xi thought they meant "worried, unhappy", and "approach" respectively,believing the sentences where they appear has this meaning:"The water runs and overflows constantly,filthy and not clean, so that the fishes feel dismayed. Besides, the winter is approaching, they will feel more difficult." which is wrong, while the explanation by The Collected Commentaries on Shiji cited from Pronunciation and Meaning in Hanshu is a correct note.Chapter Five tries to find out what feeling Zhu Xi had in that political background through my in-depth understanding of the preface, the introduction, and the notes to Chici Houyu. For instance, Zhu Xi criticized Yang Xiong intensely in the book, however, his ideas were untenable, which is helpful to expose Zhu Xi’s real purpose of criticism. Moreover.Zhu Xi’s implied worries about those powerful and imperious officials’ plot for power could also be found expressed. Besides, Zhu Xi expressed his resent through his selection of articles. As to the root of Qingyuan Ban on Political Party, Zhu Xi gave some reflections on it. Facing the difficult situation, Zhu Xi not only had to have a firm heart, but had to be resolute in soul as a Neo-Confucian. All of that reflected in Chuci Houyu is worthy of further analysis.As to a supplementary writing named Questioning Ejun Zixi, Zhu Xi only mentioned Ejun in his note to Songs of Yue People in Chuci Houyu. Therefore it is doubtful that Ejun Zixi was generally regarded as Chu Zicu.Ejun Zixi first appeared in Shanshuo of Shuoyuan. However, further study discovers that it was Ejun but not Zixi was mentioned in the annotations of eight other ancient books when they cited the example from Shuoyuan.Chu Zizi was the young brother of the mother of King Kang of Chu in Spring and Autumn period, who commiued suicide ten days after he became the prime minister of Chu, thus impossible to be conferred on Ejun. The book Shuoyuan was not complete at the beginning of Song dynasty, only five writings of which was left. Zeng Gong managed to supplement it to eighteen volumes from other collections. Presently the earliest version of (?)yuanu that we can read was printed in1235. the first year of Xianchun of South Song dynasty., so that we can conclude that Zixi in Ejun Zixi was added by someone of later years. Thus the mystery was clarified, and the error that Ejun Zixi is Zixi is corrected.The second part of this dissertation is the error check and annotations to Chuci Houyu, in which the text of Duanping version, the explanatory notes and annotations by Zhu Xi are all included. Based on that, detailed critical commentary and explanatory notes to the fifty-two articles are made, laying emphasis on the base of literature and completeness.